Wal-Mart Watch Launches “Higher Expectations Week”: Nationwide Week Of Action, November 13-19

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Washington, D.C., September 13, 2005 – Today, Wal-Mart Watch announces HIGHER EXPECTATIONS WEEK, a nationwide week of Wal-Mart reform events, November 13-19, 2005.  

Over 220 organizations have joined Wal-Mart Watch as charter partners for Higher Expectations Week.  Tens of thousands will participate in the week-long series of events, scheduled already in 29 states and the District of Columbia, with the list of partners and events growing daily.

Wal-Mart Watch organizers are on the ground in 41 states to convene 1,000 events that week, highlighting concerns on topics like affordable health care, corporate responsibility and economic justice in venues of churches, synagogues, mosques, Main Streets, neighborhoods and on the front steps of Wal-Mart’s 3,600 U.S. stores.  

The Wal-Mart Watch web site [www.walmartwatch.com] will continue to serve as the nation’s premiere Wal-Mart reform online presence.  Available online today is Wal-Mart Watch’s newest research report, “Shameless: How Wal-Mart Bullies Its Way Into Communities Across America.”  The Web site will offer new fact sheets and activist toolkits for participants in the week’s events.    

The capstone event of the week will be 3,500 house parties to screen Robert Greenwald’s new film, “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices.”  Wal-Mart Watch is a sponsor of the educational efforts for the film and will also host its world premiere in New York City on November 1 at Union Square Stadium 14.  

Charter partners include national groups like Sojourners, American Independent Business Association, National Council of Women’s Organizations, Sierra Club, Interfaith Worker Justice, Campus Progress, Teamsters, United Food and Commercial Workers, Sprawl-Busters and a vast array of local groups like the Neighborhood Retail Alliance, Arizona Chain Reaction, LAANE, Kentucky Fairness Campaign, Florida NOW, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters and the Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice.

Recognizing the importance of legislative efforts in reforming Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Watch has invited over 700 elected officials around the country to join a legislative task force to connect and strengthen efforts by local, state and federal officials to hold Wal-Mart accountable to their communities.  The task force will hold its inaugural meeting during Higher Expectations Week.

Wal-Mart Watch Executive Director Andrew Grossman said, “Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton once said, ‘High expectations are the key to everything’ and we agree.  Since April of this year, we have been leading the public education campaign to reveal the full effects of Wal-Mart’s business practices.  Launching Higher Expectations Week with 200-plus charter partners moves us into the next phase of our efforts.  Unprecedented in its size and scope, Higher Expectations Week unifies concerned citizens to highlight the myriad of problems Wal-Mart creates.  Together, this national movement is moving toward making the retailing giant a better employer, neighbor and corporate citizen.  We are also a sponsor of the educational efforts for the new film by Robert Greenwald, ‘Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices’ and believe as people view this film, the momentum for our efforts will only continue to grow.”

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